Sunday, September 10, 2017

I just returned from a magical vacation in Venice. What a dreamy place. There are many drawings and memories to share. But for now, here's a slice of a 360-degree panorama of Venice from
the rooftop of newly-refurbished Fontego dei Tedeschi - a luxury
department store, former post office. The building was constructed in
1228(!) The renovated department store opened in 2016. Building exterior
remained unaltered, as all of facades in Venice are part of UNESCO world
heritage property. That's why the skyline of Venice looks like an old
engraving. There are no new buildings.

"Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking
shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and
then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and
fury, signifying nothing."

"The Rivals" is from 1775; it's a romantic comedy about tension between marriage for the sake of love and artifice for the sake of money. As always, I was blown away by the performances and loved drawing the actors (so much so that I attend 3 shows: at the Rockefeller Park and at the Carl Schurz park, with artists Charlotte Noruzi and Margaret Hurst. Check out their wonderful drawings of this play by clicking on their names). New York Classical's stage is all of the park, and audiences follow actors from scene to scene. Performances are free to attend - all you have to do is show up at 7pm. It's an absolute treat and delight! Get the dates and locations for the upcoming "Macbeth" performanceshere>

Sir Lucius O'Trigger (right) to Bob (left): "Can a man commit a more heinous offence against another than to fall in love with the same woman? Oh, by my soul! it is the most unpardonable breach of friendship."

-Capt. Jack Absolute [Reads.]: "As for the old weather-beaten she-dragon who guards you.–Who can he mean by that?"-Mrs. Malaprop: "Me, sir!–me!–he means me!"

Sir Lucius O'Trigger: ''Modesty is a quality in a lover more praised by the women than liked.''

Sunday, June 25, 2017

For the last few months, I've been busy putting together my new
ceramics collection "Porcelain Grove" about trees and their meaning. As of today, the show is on view
at Choplet Gallery, 238 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY, till August 3rd. Hope you can come see it! Gallery is open Mon-Fri until 11pm; Sat-Sun until 7pm. Here are a few snapshots from the 40+ collection.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

On this President's Day, an estimated fifteen thousand people came to the Not My President's Day rally near the Trump International Hotel and Tower at Columbus Circle in New York. According to the Facebook event for NYC, 47 thousand people marked themselves as planning to go. There were two dozen sister rallies happening around the country. The fact that this president lost the popular vote cannot be denied. "A lot of people are angry because he lost the popular vote and is ruling like somebody who won by a landslide," Lexell said (from a CNN article here).

One month into the presidency, We the People resist the new administration's executive orders that ban refugees and Muslim immigrants, that dismantle Wall Street regulations and environmental protections. We the People resist attacks on women's rights, LGBTQ rights, free speech and free media. We the People are outraged at the endless conflicts of interest, murky dealings with the Russian government and demand an investigation into the Russian interference in the election. We the People are appalled by the constant lies and the lack of moral integrity... The list just goes on, and on, and on... We the People do not accept the 45th president as legitimate. We the People want him impeached.

Trump International Hotel and Tower surrounded by the protesters chanting "Not My President".

Central Park West packed with people from Columbus Circle to 68th street

Swarms of cops with batons, unleashed to disperse the rally

A faction of Trump supporters showed up after the sunset - way after the rally was over - to chant "USA! USA!" and to yell over the human wall of police separating the opposing sides "Snowflakes" and "Go Home". They still believe in "Drain the Swamp" campaign promise, apparently. And...they are, somehow, angry, even though their "beloved" is now in the oval office.

s e a r c h

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"I believe that in theindeterminacy of drawing,the contingent way thatimages arrive in the work,lies some kind of modelof how we live our lives.The activity of drawingis a way of trying tounderstand who we areand how we operatein the world. "~William Kentridge